Policing during the Coronavirus crisis

Unmesh Desai: What guidance and advice have you provided to the Met in terms of their approach towards enforcing the Coronavirus lockdown, and how will this change moving forwards?

Sadiq Khan: Thank you to the Assembly Member for his question.
Officers and staff of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have been continuing their important work to keep London safe in unprecedented circumstances. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their service.
I have been in regular contact with the Commissioner [of Police of the Metropolis] throughout this crisis and have been reassured by the approach the MPS has taken, which includes issuing over 900 fixed penalty notices between 28March and 11May. The police have been playing a crucial role by engaging with the public, explaining these rules, encouraging compliance and only resorting to enforcement when necessary. It is heartening to see that the vast majority of Londoners have been adhering to the new public health laws.
A recent Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) survey suggests that 86% of Londoners feel confident in the ability of the MPS to handle this outbreak. To aid officers, the MPS has been receiving guidance from a range of expert sources including the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the College of Policing and the Crown Prosecution Service, and this guidance has been updated as the relevant health regulations have changed.
Unfortunately, what is not assisting the MPS are the confused communications from the Government. As noted by the Police Federation, by not providing clear, unambiguous messaging and guidance, the Government is making officers’ jobs much more difficult. As lockdown is gradually lifted, the Government’s messaging must be clear and realistic so that it does not place competing demands on the police at this crucial time.
As a result of the lockdown measures, we have seen a reduction in some crime types, but I can assure you that officers are continued to protect the vulnerable from harm and to support victims of crime and are working tirelessly to tackle the scourge of violent crime. My team and I are working to prepare London for the next phase of this crisis and we are working closely with partners, including the MPS, to respond to the easing of lockdown conditions and to ensure London remains a safe place to live, to work and to visit.

Unmesh Desai: Thank you, MrMayor. Firstly, can I take this opportunity to wish you and your family Eid Mubarak in advance and, through you, to all Londoners who will be marking the occasion this coming weekend? I went to a virtual iftar on Friday. It was a different experience, but the community spirit certainly in east London is really great.
Anyway, thank you for your answer. You talked about planning for the next stage in terms of keeping London safe as lockdown restrictions start easing. Can you tell us specifically how you and the MPS are preparing to ensure that we do not see a steep rise in crime, particularly violent crime, when restrictions are lifted? Police officers have warned of a spike in crime once the current lockdown measures are lifted.

Sadiq Khan: Yes. This is a big concern police officers have and those involved in crime prevention have. Also, youth workers are worried by the consequences. LibPeck, Director of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), is doing some good work here.
The reason why we are concerned is because, without excusing criminality, the underlying conditions that lead to criminality - deprivation, poverty, lack of opportunity - are not just still there but have been compounded by eight weeks of lockdown with potentially more lockdown in the future. It is a combination of concerns by police, young people and youth services.
There are a number of things we are doing. On the crime prevention stuff, the VRU is working virtually with other groups across London - youth groups, youth organisations, the Young Londoners Fund - to see what they are doing with WhatsApp groups and with social media of other forms to keep young people engaged and keep in a good mental health space as well.
Secondly, the Commissioner announced a new initiative of 620 officers involved in Violence Suppression Units in all 12 Basic Command Units, and they have micro hotspots of crime that they are worried about.
The third thing is I am lobbying the Prime Minister to give us support to deal with the causes of crime to make sure we do not have a big spike after we come out of lockdown.

Unmesh Desai: Thank you. Very quickly, MrMayor, there are two key concerns I want to raise with you from a policy perspective regarding the response to the crisis.
What continued work are you doing to ensure victims of domestic abuse are able to report and to get the support they need?
Secondly, on the issue of hate crime against our east Asian communities in particular, the Home Office Minister has said there has not been an increase in far right-wing extremist activity but there has been some rise in hate crime. How are you making sure that this community is still protected as lockdown restrictions are eased?

Sadiq Khan: Firstly, the good news on your second question is - and no complacency - that there appears to not have been the increase in further race crimes against the south east Asian community that we saw a number of weeks ago. That is that is good news, but we will keep an eye on this. We are vigilant.
In relation to domestic abuse, whereas other crime areas have seen some reduction, domestic abuse has seen an increase. We are worried about this. We do not want people to suffer in silence. I have put aside an additional £1.5million to support the £59million I have given, and that has led to new accommodation being made available for those people fleeing domestic abuse and domestic violence including those with children. Those premises are live and our partners are working to get these victims and survivors of domestic abuse rehoused away from perpetrators safely.

Unmesh Desai: Finally, MrMayor, maybe you should write to me on this, but the use of stop and search has gone up by 45% last month on the same period last year. Can you explain why there has been this increase and how officers are conducting the searches safely given the current crisis?

Sadiq Khan: The Commissioner and I discussed this the last time we spoke. As far as the police are concerned, they are still following the normal guidance they do. The law is the law. They are still using the body-worn video. The use of the body-worn video is still very high. The complaints are still low. There is still, I am afraid, disproportionality.
However, I remind you and colleagues that actually the age profile of young Londoners is disproportionately of certain ethnic backgrounds, and the areas where we have had high violent crime are in some boroughs. That is not in any way to minimise or trivialise this issue. It is an issue the Commissioner takes seriously. She understands the concerns that I, you and others have raised and we are keen to improve this.
One of the ways we can lead to these communities having more confidence with the police is to address this issue, and we are keen to make sure we address it.

Unmesh Desai: Thank you, MrMayor. Through you, can I - and I am sure my colleagues will join me - thank all our officers on the front line, who are doing so much to keep our city safe? Thank you to you and your team.

Sadiq Khan: Hear, hear. Thank you.